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St. Johns Country Day School is an independent, coeducational private college preparatory school founded in 1953[1] in Orange Park, Florida, U.S.. It offers a PK–12 education, including a preschool, an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school, and maintains an enrollment of about 450 students each year.[2]

History

St. Johns Country Day School was founded by Dr. Edwin Paul Heinrich and his wife Dorothea Aldine Heinrich on September 14, 1953.[1] The couple moved from Washington, D.C. to Jacksonville, Florida in order to found the first private school in Clay County.[4] The school was named after the St. Johns River, a nearby geographical landmark. The first location of the school was the second floor of a public building at the modern day location of Moosehaven.[1] The first class consisted of 26 students from grades 1-10.

The original location of St. Johns Country Day School

By 1956, the lease on the building was expiring, so the Heinrichs purchased a 26-acre property further south on July 31, 1956. Ground was broken on construction on February 27, 1957, and the new building opened on August 21, 1957.[1] Rod Fisher, longtime science teacher and landmark of the St. Johns campus, was hired in 1967 out of Catawba College. Dr. Heinrich served as the school's headmaster until his retirement in 1970. He was succeeded by Patrick Mackin in September 1970. On October 14, 1976, faulty electrical wiring caught fire and burned down nearly half of the school, leaving classrooms inoperable and causing smoke damage to the library.[1]

Academics

Languages

St. Johns Country Day offers three languages: Latin, French, and Spanish. Each year students compete in their language's respective competitions: the Florida Junior Classical League Convention,[5] Congrès de la Culture Francaise en Floride, and the Florida State Spanish Conference.

Athletics

St. Johns Country Day School has participated in competitive sports since 1958.[1] The school currently offers soccer, girls weightlifting, basketball, baseball, volleyball, tennis, golf, cheerleading, cross country, track & field, softball, swimming, E-Sports, and football. The girls' soccer team has won the FHSAA Class 1 state championship ten times in a row between 2012 and 2021.[6]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Weber, Owene (1991-01-01). Vision: The Story of St. Johns Country Day School. St. Johns Country Day School. ISBN 9780962936708.
  2. ^ a b c "St. Johns Country Day School". www.sjcds.net. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
  3. ^ "Top College Prep School Orange Park, FL | St. Johns Country Day School". Archived from the original on 2016-09-23. Retrieved 2016-09-22.
  4. ^ CRAVEY, BETH REESE. "St. Johns Country Day's big change | Jacksonville.com". jacksonville.com. Retrieved 2016-09-22.
  5. ^ "St. Johns Country Day students compete in national Latin event". Retrieved 2016-09-22.
  6. ^ Fuoco, Roy. "Lakeland Christian falls 2-0 in state championship". The Ledger. Retrieved 2017-02-15.
  7. ^ "2002: Dr. Gay Culverhouse - St. Johns Country Day School". www.sjcds.net. Retrieved 2016-09-21.
  8. ^ "Arts Hall of Fame - St. Johns Country Day School". www.sjcds.net. Retrieved 2016-09-21.

30°08′42″N 81°44′36″W / 30.1450904°N 81.7432511°W / 30.1450904; -81.7432511

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Johns_Country_Day_School